UK gets commercial WiMAX service

UK wireless broadband provider, Freedom4 has joined forces with Milton Keynes Council to offer what it claims is the first UK commercial wireless broadband service using WiMAX.

From Tuesday, ConnectMK – a private company formed by Milton Keynes Council – will be providing residents and businesses in the Milton Keynes area with access to WiMAX services.

Over 1000 people in Milton Keynes have pre-registered interest in joining the network, which is operated by Freedom4.

The service provider is a joint venture between the Pipex ISP and Intel and is deploying WiMAX in the 3.6GHz spectrum in partnership with kit supplier Airspan Networks. The operator provides WiMAX-based internet services with symmetrical upload and download speeds of up to 8Mbps.

The company has bee trialling services in Milton Keynes and Warwick and is also gearing up to roll out its commercial offering in Manchester.

Mike Read, CEO of Freedom4, said, “We have had great success with our trials of WiMAX in the Milton Keynes area and partnering with ConnectMK allows us to reach the wider community. We can also provide services in areas where traditional ADSL broadband access is not feasible, giving residents and businesses a cost-effective alternative to access the latest in internet connectivity.”